HYDERABAD, Feb 27 Jamaat-i-Islami leader Maulana Asadullah Bhutto has said that the confrontation between the Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) is the beginning of the end of democracy in the country.

He said that people's mandate had been insulted by disqualifying Sharif brothers and called upon the PPP government to honour the promise of Benazir Bhutto to reinstate deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

He was addressing a protest rally at vegetable market roundabout here on Friday. The rally was held in connection with the JI's week of solidarity with deposed judges.

He said if Nawaz Sharif had not betrayed APDM, the situation would have been quite different today. Nevertheless, Nawaz Sharif has finally realised that President Asif Zardari had not only violated the covenant but he had also stabbed Nawaz Sharif in the back, the former MNA said.

He said the decision of the “PCO judges” against Sharif brothers should serve as an eye opener to the nation that an independent judiciary was indispensable for the country.

Justice and honouring a covenant were the cardinal principles of Islam, the JI leader said and added that this had motivated many a non-Muslim to embrace Islam.

He regretted that Pakistani rulers neither believed in Islamic injunctions nor in moral values. He said the state of Pakistan was a privy to the killings of Muslims at the instance of the USA and added that the land of Pakistan had been placed at the disposal of the US to kill Pakistanis in the tribal areas.

He called upon the nation to join hands with the JI and participate in the lawyers' long march to get rid of American aggression and for the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Choudhry and other deposed judges and independence of judiciary.

He urged the Pakistan People's Party to make President Zardari accountable for not honouring the commitment of Benazir Bhutto about the restoration of the deposed chief justice.

HARI BODY The Sindh Hari Committee president Azhar Jatoi on Friday said the decision to disqualify Sharif brothers would weaken Pakistan and democracy.

He was speaking at a meeting of the committee held at Haider Manzil here, which discussed situation arising out of the Supreme Court decision to disqualify the Sharif brothers.

The meeting observed that the decision would encourage undemocratic forces and called upon President Asif Ali Zardari to immediately restore Shahbaz Sharif as the chief minister of Punjab to save democracy. If he did not do this, imposition of martial law could not be ruled out, the meeting said.

The meeting also demanded amendments to the Sindh Tenancy Act to give ownership rights to the tillers over land.